Velocipede



(No Model.) v

1 P. ARCHER & A. S. BOWLEY.

VELOGIPEDE.

No. 447,099. Patented Feb. 24,1891.

FRANK ARCHER AND ARTHUR SYDNEY BOVLEY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND,

ASSIGNORS TO THE OVERMAN \VHEEL MASSACHUSETTS.

COMPANY, OF GHIOOPEE FALLS,

SVELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447.099, dated February24, 1891.

Application filed December 15, 1890. Serial No. 374,721. (No model.)Patented in England May 8, 1889. No. 7,734.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANK ARCHER, of London, county of Middlesex,England, and

ARTHUR SYDNEY BowLEY, of Balham Grove,

accordance with our invention; Fig. 2, a de-'.

tached perspective view of the frame, taken from its rear end; Fig. 3,an enlarged broken view, partly in side elevation and partly in section,showing the extreme forward end of the frame; Fig. fl, a broken view inrear elevation, showing the bridge which unites the upper edges of thetwo members of the frame and provides for the support of the saddle;Fig. 5, a detached plan view of one of the solid heads provided forconnecting the forward ends of the two members of the frame;

Fig. 6, a view in side elevation of a Safety bicycle, showing anotherform which our improved frame may assume.

Our invention relates to an improvementin frames for velocipedes, theobject being to produce aframe which shall be lighter, stiffer, moredurable, and less subject to vibration than any frame as yet produced sofar as known to us.

lVith these ends in view our invention consists in avelocipede-framehaving one or more light rims stiffened by tensionaldevices applied to them on the suspension principle, and in certaindetails of construction and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter described,and pointed out in the claims.

As shown by Figs. 1, 2, 3, and at of the drawings, our improved frame iscomposed of two tubular elliptical rims A A, stiffened on the suspensionprinciple by means of spokes B, connected to their inner edges and to ahub 0, common to them both, and adapted to be drawn to the requiredtension in any suitable manner. The forward ends of the said rims areconverged, sleeved over, pinned, and brazed to plugs or dowels D, formedat the outer ends of the two diverging arms D D of two forged heads D Drespectively attached to the ends of a tube E, through which thesteering-rod F passes, the said rod being provided at its upper end witha transverse handle-bar G, and at its lower end with a fork II, in whichthe steering-wheel H is mounted. The rear portions of the rims, arediverged to permit the rear wheel I to enter and run betweenthem, theaxle J of the said wheel being mounted in bearings J J, secured totheirrear edges. Bearings K K, located at their lower edges, are provided toreceive the crankshaft L, carrying the crank-shafts L.

As shown by Fig. 1 of the drawings, the saddle M is supported upon twosupporting and, if desired, spring arms M M, connected with the rims atseparated points thereupon, so as to diffuse the strain imposed upon theframe by the weight of the rider instead of concentrating it at onepoint; but, as shown by Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, a bridge or strapN is provided for the attachment of the saddle, and thereto providedwitha vertical or nearlyvertical opening N to receive the ordinaryL-shaped saddle-post, (not shown,) and with a horizontal opening N toreceive a binding-screw (not shown) for holding the said post in place.If preferred, the rims A A may be complete ellipses and clamped in'anyconvenient manner to the steering-head instead of having portions oftheir forward ends virtually elided, as shown herein.

As shown by Fig. 6 of the drawings, the frame is composed of two annularrims O O, stiffened by stays P, joining the rims at opposite pointstherein and arranged in pairs and on the suspension principle. Ifdesired, however, these stays may be replaced by stays otherwisearranged or by a hub and spokes. In order to secure the requireddistance between'the wheels of the vehicles without making the rims solarge as to be cumbersome and unsightly, we apply converging rods P P'to their forward edges and attach the same at their forward ends to aspindle Q, mounted in heads Q Q, through which the steering-rod passes.Otherwise than above the frame shown by Fig. 6 is essentially like theframe previously described.

It will readily be understood that by constructing a velocipede -frameon the suspension principle we can secure a structure of great stiffnessby the use of very light stock, in the same manner that velocipedewheels can be made very light and yet very rigid. Among other advantagesproceeding from our construction ease of propulsion and economy of powermay be mentioned. These results are secured because all of the energyused by the rider is directly applied to propelling the vehicle, none ofit being diverted and wasted in springing the frame from side to side,as occurs with many machines as now constructed. Furthermore, althoughthe frame is very rigid, there is an absence of that hardness soobjectionable in velocipcde frames of ordinary construction, inasmuch asthe vibration to which the machine is subjected by the shocks of travelis so diffused throughout the several spokes or tensional appliances ofthe frame that it is not communicated to the rider with that force orjarring effect common to frames composed of two or three main pieces oftubing, which transmit vibration directly to him, greatly to hisdiscomfort and racking the machine. Again, in making frames in accordarcc with our invention we are enabled to use a verysuperior quality ofmaterial, whereby they may be made very durable; and, moreover, from thenature of our improved frame it isalmost impossible to put a breakingstrain upon it when it is in a vertical position.

Although our improved frame is especially adapted for use in theconstruction of Safety bicycles, it is not limited thereto, but withappropriate modifications may be employed in other forms of cycles; norare we limited to rims of any particular shape or cross-section, so longas they are adapted inform and material to be stiffened by spokes,stays, or r other tensional devices applied on the suspension principle.For instance, they may be oval instead of elliptical or annular, andcrescential instead of round in cross-section, or they may be madesimply of flat ribbons or strips. Instead, also, of being made of twoindependent rims, one rim adapted to be split or to divide at its rearend to form a fork for the rear wheel may be employed, or twoindependent rims might be attached to the opposite ends of the axle ofthe rear wheel and converged to the steering-head of the vehicle andunited by transverse braces or straps, or not, as desired. Portions ofthe frame subjected to unusual strain may be re-enforced by additions ofmetal or by stays applied, after the principle of chords. YVe wouldtherefore have it understood that we do not limit ourselves to the exactconstructions herein shown and described or to the use of our improvedframes with Safety bicycles, but hold ourselves at liberty to make suchchanges and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope ofour invention.

Having fully described our inventiomwhat we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a velocipede, a main frame consisting of a rim and tensionaldevices or stays connected therewith on the suspension principle,substantially as described.

2. In a velocipede,a main frame consisting of a rim, a central hub, andspokes radiating from the hub to the rim to stilfen the same,substantially as described.

3. In a velocipede,a main frame consisting of two rims converging attheir forward ends and spread apart at their rear ends to admit a wheelbetween them, and tensional devices connected with the said rims on thesuspension principle, substantially as described.

l. In a velocipede, a main frame comprising two rims converging at theirforward ends and spread apart at their rear ends to admit a wheelbetween them, a hub common to both rims, and spokes radiating from thesaid hub to both rims for stiffening them, substantially as described.

5. In a velocipede, a main frame comprising two elliptical rimsconverging at their forward ends and joined to a tube and spread apartat their rear ends to receive a wheel between them, tensional devicesconnected with them on the suspension principle, and means for attachinga saddle, a rear wheel-axle, and a crank-shaft to them, substantially asdescribed.

G. In a velocipede, a main frame comprisin g two elliptical rimsconverging at their forward ends and spread apart at their rear ends,

.tensional devices or stays applied to them on thesuspension principle,and transversestraps or bridges joining them, substantially asdescribed.

7. A velocipede-frame having two bowed rims converging at their forwardends for attachment to the steering-head and diverging at their rearends to receive the wheel between them, and stays for bracing the saidrims, the ends of which are separated vertically where they join thesteering-head, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention, we havesigned our names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK ARCHER. ARTHUR SYDNEY BOVLEY.

Witnesses:

ALF. E. WHiTE,

17 Southampton Bdgs. G. W. TURNER,

Grand Parade, Balham, S. IV.

IIO

